Meet 15 People Who Brave Freezing Temperatures To Live In The Arctic Circle

Cristian BarnettHans Bengtson, better known as "Vild Hasse," lives in Jokkmokk, Sweden, near the Arctic Circle.

Since we're in the midst of a hot summer here in the States, it's easy to forget that there's anything but sweaty, scorching weather elsewhere on earth.

Just take a step inside the Arctic Circle, though, and you'll quickly find that's just not true.

The Arctic Circle, one of the main lines of latitude on any globe, demarcates where the Arctic begins and ends. North of here, the sun can stay up for 24 hours during the summer and hide below the horizon during the winter, plunging inhabitants into darkness.

And it's cold. Average temperatures in the summer hover around 50 °F and in the winter, they can drop below -50°F in many places.

While the Arctic is not very populated, people do live there. Photographer Cristian Barnett wondered who these people were, so he decided to document and photograph them. He was particularly intrigued by those who lived on or near the invisible, dotted line of the Arctic Circle. Starting in 2006, Barnett made 11 trips to 23 towns, all within 35 miles of the Arctic Circle. His series, titled Life On The Line, will be released as a book later this year.

"The Arctic Circle is much more than just hunters and polar bears," says Barnett. "There are many thriving modern settlements where you're more likely to meet a hairdresser than a reindeer herder."

Barnett told about 15 of the people he photographed. You can see more of his beautiful work on his site.